Out of the mosque in to the Bazaar. That's a really big contrast, not only for the noise level. The Sunday Market is nowadays not limited to Sundays, it's open all day. And there is also the luxury of having a roof.....
The animal market we already visited in the morning and all the things you can't buy at the animal market you get here. Everything.
At the entrance of the market we saw again telephones and we were really wondering, if they try to sell these old 2nd hand phones. Tudajim explained to us that these are not for sale but the chinese way of public phones. Cool, but what the hell would you understand at the phone with a noise level like on the market.....
As usual the single "shopping streets" are sorted by category. E.g. carpets, fabrics, skirts,....
... fur hats, silver ware (real and fake), shoes and so on
And like at the animal market the social aspect is really important. Everywhere the people are chatting, discussing and negotiating (or better: barging). But the sales seems to be pretty fine.
Our guide asserted that all silk fabrics are made in the Xinjiang province, more precise in Hotan and Kashgar. In the travel guide book we read, that the main silk production was shifted from Xinjiang province to Jiangsu province (yes, that's our province where Suzhou is located). Hmmm, however, it's definitely nice to have a look on them....
Very nice are also the toy "stores". Spider man claims his space also like the most modern video games.
In the cosmetic street we found some "sheep grease soap" and "cow milk soap". Unbelievable what you can get out of these animals besides Kebab.
The omnipresent tape is also available like the BMW socks for the real man. And no, the socks are no fake, what do you think, the sales man ensured to us, that it's real original BMW socks from, ah, well, where was BMW from again, the US?????
The atmosphere at the market is really relaxed and nice. Everybody want to shop some special occasion and so you can watch plenty of happy and sometimes coltish people strolling through the aisles.
For the winter time in Xinjiang it's worth to think about a real fur hat, maybe a sheep fur? Before we were able to react both of us had some of these nice headgear on and the barging begun. Well, not real barging, we really don't need this kind of headdress in Suzhou. Well, maybe this nice sheep fur hat - no, not this time.
After a long hike we arrived in the spice and pharmacy street. The odor are so intense as the colors. Combined with the noise level we'll not forget about this visit soon.
At one pharmacy we stopped to buy the ingredients for the local saffron tea so we can bring some Xinjiang feeling to Suzhou. As a side effect we learned something about the local medicine. Very popular for healing different desseases is to grind some dried animals (preferred are frogs, snakes, bugs, bats) and eat them together with honey. Better not to get ill, I guess.
After three hours in the market we managed the last visit of today. Wow, now we need a good meal to compensate the busy day. We ended up in the Palace and the daughter of the chef was in a good mood and performed a dance for the guests. The word is that the uygurs can sing before they talk and dance before they walk. Well, after watching her, this could be really true.
The next day we planned a relaxing day, how relaxing this days went is another story.....
Doors...
....we showed you last time. Now it's the windows.....
